PUTEVIkoje biramo

We ChooseTHE PATHS

Beograd, maj 2019. godine

PUTEVIkoje biramo

We ChooseTHE PATHS

Predstavništvo Fonda za obrazovanje Roma sprovodi projekat pod nazivom „Pospešivanje zapošljivosti mla-dih Roma“ uz podršku programa German development cooperation, koji implementira Nemačka razvojna banka KfW u ime Vlade Republike Nemačke – Ministarstva za ekonomsku saradnju i razvoj.

The Roma Education Fund, branch office in Serbia is implementing the project “Employment Empowerment of Young Roma”, with the support of German development cooperation, implemented by KfW on behalf of the German Government – Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

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Predstavništvo fonda za obrazovanje Roma u Srbiji registrovano je kao predstavništvo Fondacije za obra-zovanje Roma u Mađarskoj, koja je osnovana 2005 godine. Kroz rastuću mrežu aktivnih predstavništava širom centralne, istočne, jugoistočne Evrope i Turske, Fondacija za obrazovanje Roma pruža grantove i stipendije organizacijama, pojedincima i pojedinkama koji veruju u kvalitetno inkluzivno obrazovanje i desegregisane škole i učionice.

Vizija - Težimo da živimo u svetu u kome je pravo na obrazovanje neosporno za svako romske dete i u kome su obrazovne mogućnosti i prakse jednake za sve.

Misija - Doprinos premošćavanju jaza u obrazovnim ishodima između romske i ne-romske dece, kroz podrža-vanje programa i politika koji se zalažu za kvalitetno obrazovanje za Rome i Romkinje, uključujući desegregisan obrazovni sistem.

Vrednosti – istrajnost, integritet, radoznalost, odgovornost, pravednost

Roma Education Fund’s representative office in Serbia is registered as a representative of Roma Educa-tion Fund in Hungary, established in 2005. With an active and growing network of representative offices across Central, Eastern, South Eastern Europe and Turkey, REF provides grants and scholarships to entities and indi-viduals who share its belief in quality, inclusive education and desegregated schools and classrooms.

Vision – We aspire to live in a world in which the right to education is regarded as undeniable for every Roma child and youth, and educational opportunities and practices are equitable for all.

Mision – Contribute to closing the gap in educational outcomes between Roma and non-Roma children by sup-porting policies and programs that ensure quality education for Roma, including the desegregation of education systems.

Values – tenacity, integrity, inquisitiveness, accountability, justice

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• O PROJEKTU •

Predstavništvo fonda za obrazovanje Roma u Srbiji od 2016. godine sprovodi projekat „Pospešivanje zapo-šljivosti mladih Roma“ uz podršku programa German development cooperation, koji implementira Nemačka razvojna banka KfW u ime Vlade Republike Nemačke – Ministarstva za ekonomsku saradnju i razvoj. Ovaj projekat pruža tehničku podršku i efikasne mehanizme za borbu protiv diskriminacije i za stvaranje uslova u kojima Romi i Romkinje imaju pristup kvalitetnom obrazovanju, efikasniji pristup tržištu rada i, samim tim, veće mogućnosti pri zapošljavanju.

Aktivnosti projekta su podeljene u tri komponente:

Komponenta 1 – Srednjoškolski stipendijski i mentorski program

Komponenta 2 – Pospešivanje zapošljivosti mladih Roma i Romkinja

Komponenta 3 – Obrazovna reintegracija Roma povratnika/ca

• ABOUT THE PROJECT •

Roma Education Fund’s representative office in Serbia since 2016 implements the project “Employment Em-powerment of Young Roma” funded by the German development cooperation implemented by KfW on behalf of the German Government – Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. This project provides tech-nical support and effective mechanisms to combat discrimination and to create conditions in which Roma can access quality education and labor market and, therefore, greater employment opportunities.

The project’s activities are divided into three components:

Component 1 – Secondary scholarship and mentorship program

Component 2 – Employment empowerment of young Roma

Component 3 – Educational reintegration of young Roma returnees

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Komponenta 1 – Srednjoškolski stipendijski i mentorski program namenjen je učenicima/ama romske naci-onalnosti koji pohađaju srednje škole u Srbiji i imaju prosečnu ocenu od 2.5-3.5, jer dosadašnja istraživanja pokazuju da je rizik od odustajanja od školovanja veći kod ove grupe učenika/ca zbog čega im je potrebna dodatna podrška. Osim finansijske, sastavni deo ove komponente je i mentorska podrška nastavnika/ca. To-kom godina implementacije ovog programa, procenat odustajanja učenika/ca koji su uključeni u program se kontinuirano smanjuje, a broj diplomiranih srednjoškolaca/ki kontinuirano raste.

Component 1 – Secondary scholarship and mentorship program is intended for Roma students attending sec-ondary schools in Serbia and having an average grade of 2.5-3.5. The program targets these students because previous researches show that the risk of dropping out of school is higher with this group of students and there-fore they require additional support. In addition to financial, mentoring support from teachers is also present. Over the years of implementation of this program, the percentage of drop out rate of students included in the program is continuously decreasing, and the number of students graduating is continuously increasing.

Komponenta 2 – Pospešivanje zapošljivosti mladih Roma i Romkinja i povećanje njihove konkurentnosti na tržištu rada, pri čemu mladi Romi i Romkinje na raspolaganju imaju pohađanje širokog kataloga stručnih obuka i sticanje priznatih sertifikata; dodatno školovanje (dokvalifikacija ili prekvalifikacija) koje podrazumeva stipen-dijsku i mentorsku podršku tokom pohađanja srednjih stručnih škola IV stepena; pohađanje plaćene stručne prakse u javnom ili privatnom sektoru, u skladu sa njihovim kvalifikacijama i interesovanjima.

Component 2 – Employment empowerment of young Roma and competitiveness in the labor market increase-ment, offer young Roma with attending a wide range of vocational trainings in accordance with their needs and obtaining recognized certificates; continued education (additional training or retraining) that includes scholar-ship and mentoring support during the attainment of the IV degree of secondary schools; and attending a paid internship in the public or private sector, in accordance with their qualifications and interests.

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Komponenta 3 – Podrška obrazovnoj reintegraciji Roma povratnika/ca kroz grant program za lokalne nevladi-ne organizacije. Cilj grant programa je poboljšanje inkluzije i školske spremnosti dece iz romskih povratničkih porodica. Nevladine organizacije obezbeđuju korisnicima/ama relevantne informacije, podršku pri upisu u ško-lu i prikupljanju dokumentacije, kao i kontinuirane dodatne časove srpskog jezika i drugih školskih predmeta. Uspostavljena je dugoročna saradnja sa relevantnim institucijama i međunarodnim organizacijama koje rade u ovoj oblasti radi stvaranja preduslova za sistemsku reintegraciju povratnika/ca.

Component 3 – Educational reintegration of young Roma returnees through a grant program for local non-gov-ernmental organizations. The goal of the grant program is to improve inclusion and school readiness of chil-dren from Roma returnee families. NGO partners provide beneficiaries with relevant information, support in enrolment, and assistance in documentation collecting and continuously provide additional classes of Serbian language and other school subjects. Long-term cooperation has been established with all relevant institutions and international organizations working in this area in order to create preconditions for the systemic reinte-gration of returnees.

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144 srednje škole u 74 opšti- na uključene u projekat

174 mentora/ki angažovano za rad sa 500 učenika/ca srednjih škola

241 korisnika/ca završili/le neku od stručnih obuka

185 korisnika/ca pohađalo plaćenu stručnu praksu

30 korisnika/ca završilo kurs nemačkog jezika

32 korisnika/ca završilo kurs engleskog jezika

101 korisnik/ca zaposlen/a

191 povratnička porodica u 5 opština podržana kroz projekat

251 dete iz povratničkih po- rodica pohađalo dodatne časove srpskog jezika i pomoći u učenju

Unapređivanje mogućnosti zaintegraciju i obrazovanje Roma u Srbiji,pospešivanje zapošljivosti mladihRoma i reintegraciju povratnika

Mapa lokacija u kojima se projekat implementira

Program stipendiranja i mentorstva za srednjoškolce

Zapošljavanje

Obrazovna reintegracija povratnika

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144 secondary schools in 74 municipalities involved in the project

174 mentors engaged for work with 500 second- ary school students

241 beneficiaries completed vocational training

185 beneficiaries attended paid internship

30 beneficiaries completed the German language course

32 beneficiaries completed the English language course

101 beneficiaries are employed

191 returnee families in 5 municipalities supported through the project

251 children from returnee families attended additi onal classes of Serbian language and other sc hool subjects

Component 1 - Secondary Scholarshipand mentorship Program (79 townships)

Component 2 - Employment (58 townships)

Component 3 - Educational Reintegrationof Returnees (5 townships)

Improved Education and Integration Opportunities for Roma in Serbia,Employment Empowerment of YoungRoma and Reintegration of Returnees

Map of locations in which the project is implemented

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Saša Adamić (21 godina)

„Došao sam da bih Vam ispričao svoju priču, ali molim Vas da požurimo jer u 11 sati imam polaganje ispita iz srpskog jezika, a u subotu polažem i maturski ispit. Učim svakog dana posle posla, dobro sam se spremio.”

Saša je završio srednju Saobraćajno-tehničku školu, smer saobraćajni tehničar (IV stepen), a trenutno pola-že ispite kako bi završio smer instruktor vožnje (V stepen). Živi sa roditeljima, bratom, sestrom, suprugom i sinom Leonardom. Njegovi roditelji primaju materijalnu pomoć centra za socijalni rad. U okviru projekta „Po-spešivanje zapošljivosti mladih Roma“, Saši je omogućena dokvalifikacija i zaposlenje u restoranu McDonalds u Beogradu. „Nije mi hladno, usne su mi modre jer imam srčano oboljenje. Iako mi je doktor rekao da ne smem da se izla-žem naporu, ja sam srećan što imam priliku da radim u poznatom restoranu. Nije toliko teško. Često nosim teške posude sa hranom, ali svi kažu da sam odličan radnik. Jednom sam i opekao ruku pržeći krompir. Ma nije ništa strašno... Ovaj posao koji mi je REF obezbedio je super. Da nije ovog posla, radio bih na građevini za dnevnicu ili kao moj otac, na pijaci.“

Pomalo sramežljiv, ali sa osmehom na licu, Saša je zadovoljan što ima priliku da pomogne svojoj porodici. Tako je prošle godine doprineo izgradnji kupatila u porodičnoj kući. Iako u kući nema odvojen prostor za učenje, do sada je dobijao samo odlične ocene. Zahvalan je na pruženoj prilici da nastavi školovanje i zaposli se. Uspeva da uskladi posao i učenje, ali i da izdvoji dovoljno vremena za igru sa četvoromesečnim sinom. Kaže da rezul-tate svog truda uviđa onda kada svom sinu može da kupi neku igračku koju on kao dete nije imao.

„Verujem da ću biti dobar otac. Sada znam kako treba da bude – Leonardo se neće školovati vanredno, već će

na vreme da uči i izvršava svoje obaveze. Znam da ću biti dobar otac.“

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„Da nije ovog posla, radio

bih na građevini za

dnevnicu ili kao

moj otac, na pijaci.“

“If there was not for this job, I would work as a construction worker for a daily wage, or as my fa-ther, at the green market.”

Saša Adamić

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Saša Adamić (21 years)

“I came here to tell you my story, but please let’s do this quickly because I am taking a Serbian language test at 11 o’clock and I am having my graduation exam on Saturday. I study every day after work, I am well pre-pared.”

Saša graduated from Secondary School of Technology and Traffic, to become a traffic technician (a fourth-de-gree education), and is currently taking his exams to complete the course for driving instructor (a fifth-degree education). He lives with his parents, brother, sister, wife, and son Leonardo. His parents receive financial assistance from Social Welfare Center. Within the project “Employment Empowerment of Young Roma”, Saša recieved support to continue education and to be employed at a McDonald’s restaurant in Belgrade. “I am not cold, my lips are blue because I have a heart disease. Even though the doctor told me not to expose myself to effort, I am happy that I have the opportunity to work at a famous restaurant. It is not that hard. I do often carry heavy food plates but everybody says that I am an excellent worker. Once I burned my fingers while frying potatoes. It is nothing terrible... This job, which was provided by REF, is great. If there was not for this job, I would work as a construction worker for a daily wage, or as my father, at the green market.”

A bit shy, yet smiling, Saša is happy to have the opportunity to help his family. Last year, he contributed to the construction of a bathroom in his family house. Although there is not enough space for him to study in the house, he has been getting straight As. He is thankful for the opportunity to continue with his education and get employed. He manages to combine work with studying, and to have enough time to play with his four-month-old son. He says he is aware of the results of his effort when he can buy his son a toy he did not have as a child.

“I believe I will be a good father. Now I know how it is supposed to be - Leonardo will not be taking end-of-year exams, he will be going to school regularly and fulfill all his obligations on time. I know I will be a good father.”

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Aleksandar Blagojević (19 godina)

„Na proleće, kada budem izašao iz Doma, imaću i završenu srednju školu, četvrti stepen. Do tada ću položiti i vozački ispit. Neću više po kazni stajati u ćošku ili sedeti u magarećoj klupi, jer neću biti kriv.“

Kada je imao jedanaest godina, Aleksandar je iz Mladenovca doveden u Dom za decu bez roditeljskog sta-ranja u Beloj Crkvi. Majka ga nije posećivala, jer je zasnovala novu porodicu. Otac ga povremeno posećuje. Aleksandar kaže da mu je u početku bilo veoma teško u Domu, jer su vaspitači bili strogi i nekada grubi na rečima. Osam godina kasnije shvata razloge takvog postupanja prema njemu i svoj drugoj deci, jer je sada spreman da se uhvati u koštac sa svim što je izvan ograda institucije, a što ga čeka već na proleće kada će započeti samostalan život.

„Znam šta hoću. Normalan život, bez luksuza. Znam i da nisam kriv što sam u Domu. To sam konačno shvatio i neće me biti stid što sam ovde proveo godine. Ovde sam stekao prijatelje Aranku i Elvisa. Izlazimo zajedno iz Doma i svo troje smo na dokvalifikaciji koja nam je omogućena kroz projekat REF-a. Sa stečenim obrazova-njem ću imati priliku za bolju budućnost. Svo troje ćemo imati priliku za dalje. Dalje od Doma, a ja se nadam i dalje od Bele Crkve.“

U želji da sebi zaradi džeparac, Aleksandar je obavljao različite zanatske poslove, kao što su krečenje, po-stavljanje parketa i pločica. Sve što zaradi, čuva za trenutak kada bude izašao iz Doma. Nada se da će nakon završene dokvalifikacije ubrzo pronaći posao i postati potpuno samostalan.

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Aleksandar Blagojević

„Sa stečenim obrazovanjem ću imati priliku za bolju budućnost.“

“With the aquired

education,

I will have the

opportunity for a

better future.”

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Aleksandar Blagojević (19 years)

“When I leave the Home in the spring, I will have completed secondary school with fourth-degree diploma. Until then, I will also have a driving licence. I will no longer stand in the corner as a punishment nor I will wear the dunce hat because I will not be the guilty one.”

When he was eleven years old, Aleksandar was brought from Mladenovac to the Home for Children without Parental Care in Bela Crkva. His mother was not visiting him because she had started a new family. His father visits him occasionally. Aleksandar says that in the beginning, it was very difficult because the educators were very strict and sometimes verbally rude. Eight years later, he understands the reasons for such treatment to-wards him and other children, because he is now ready to get to grips with all that is outside the institution and what awaits him when he begins an independent life in the spring. “I know what I want. A normal life, without any luxury. I know that it is not my fault for being in the Home. I have finally come to terms with that and I will not be ashamed of the fact that I spent years of my life here. I got friends here, Aranka and Elvis. We will be leaving the Home together and all three of us are attending the additional training provided to us through REF project. With the aquired education, I will have the opportunity for a better future. All three of us will have the opportunity to pursue our goals away from the Home, and I hope away from Bela Crkva.”

Wishing to earn some pocket money, Aleksandar does various jobs, such as painting, installing parquet and tiles. Everything he earns, he saves for a moment when he leaves the Home. He hopes that after completing additional training, he will soon find a job and become completely independent.

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Tokom 2018. godine,

20 kandidata/kinja

je upisalo dokvalifikaciju ili prekvalifikaciju.

During 2018, 20 candidates enrolled additional training or retraining.

Aleksandar Blagojević, Aranka Žolnai, Elvis Krasnići

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Zlata Đorđević (25 godina)

„Da nema moje mame, ne bi bilo ni mene. Svoj život je zapostavila i borila se za mene. Možda su moja i njena životna priča slične... kada bolje razmislim, zapravo su iste.“

Rođena Beograđanka završava osnovnu i srednju školu sa najvišim ocenama i učestvuje na takmičenjima iz biologije i engleskog jezika. Nakon razgovora sa majkom, odlučuje da upiše Višu ekonomsku školu, koju takođe završava sa visokim prosekom. Nije se pokajala ni zbog jedne odluke. Nije se pokajala ni kada je kao student-kinja otišla u Ameriku i radila 16 sati dnevno. Nije se pokajala ni kada se zaljubila daleko od svog grada i dobila ćerku, niti kada se sama sa ćerkom vratila u Beograd.

„Istorija se ponavlja. Tako se i moja majka borila za mene, kao što se ja borim za svoju ćerku. Zato sam i odlučila da započnem stažiranje u okviru REF-ovog projekta. Sada stičem nova znanja i veštine stažirajući u turističkoj agenciji. A to mi je potrebno kako bih mogla profesionalno da napredujem i izborim se za sebe, ćer-ku i majku. Mnogo sam zahvalna.“

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Zlata Đorđević

„Sada stičem nova znanja i

veštine stažirajući u turističkoj

agenciji. A to mi je potrebno

kako bih mogla profesionalno

da napredujem i izborim se za

sebe, ćerku i majku.“

“Now I am gaining new

knowledge and skills as an

intern at the travel agency.

And I need this so that I can

progress professionally and

fight for myself, my daughter

and my mother.”

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Zlata Đorđević (25 years)

“If there was not for my mom, I do not know where would I be today. She neglected her life and fought for me. Our life stories might be similar...when I think about it, they are actually the same.”

This Belgrade-born girl completed primary and secondary school with highest grades and participated in com-petitions in biology and English language. After talking about it with her mother, she decided to enroll Belgrade Business Academy for Applied Studies, only to graduate with distinction. She does not regret a single decision she made. She does not regret going to USA as a student and working for 16 hours a day. She does not regret falling in love and having a daughter, nor having to return alone with her, to Belgrade.

“History repeats itself. I fight for my own child today the same way my mother fought for me. That is why I started this internship within REF project. Now I am gaining new knowledge and skills as an intern at the travel agency. And I need this so that I can progress professionally and fight for myself, my daughter and my mother. I am very grateful.”

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Elvis Krasnići (20 godina)

„Ponekad dobijem tu mogućnost da posetim porodicu na nedelju dana. Ali kada odem, ja se vratim posle dva dana. Nisam ljut što sam skoro pet godina u Domu, niti što me roditelji nisu uzeli nazad kući. Nisam ljut ni što otac nije ostvario bolji odnos sa mnom i što se naš svaki susret završi svađom. Posle takvih svađa se ja vratim u Dom već posle dva dana. Majka mi kaže da otac uvek plače nakon mog povratka u Dom. Da joj govori da me voli i da nije stvarno mislio to što mi je rekao. Nikada mi on sam nije to ispričao. Ali ja verujem svojoj majci.“

Dok priča o odnosima u svojoj porodici, Elvis sve vreme gleda u pod. Međutim, kada opisuje svoje planove za budućnost, on podiže glavu i gleda napred.

Policija ga je pronašla kako luta ulicama. Centar za socijalni rad donosi odluku da Elvis bude smešten u Dom za decu bez roditeljskog staranja, gde je završio osnovnu školu. Upisuje srednju školu, i završava treći stepen srednjeg obrazovanja. Uviđa da mu nije dovoljno zvanje automehaničara i, uz podršku REF-a, upisuje četvrti stepen, za tehničara motornih vozila.

„Ovde sam upoznao Aleksandra i Aranku. Ona je bila veoma ljuta na svoje roditelje, posebno oca, ljuta na život koji smo dobili kao deca iz Doma. Ja nisam ljut. Razumem postupke drugih ljudi, razumem i sestru koja me je ostavila da lutam ulicama dok je ona prosila. A nije bila mnogo starija od mene. I nije me strah od toga kuda ću dalje. Super će mi doći više znanja, a i vozačka dozvola koju ću steći u školi koju vanredno završavam uz podršku REF-a. Ako ne budem odmah uspeo da nađem posao, ne bojim se rada. Već sam brao šljive i jabuke i cepao drva. Uspećemo nas troje, jer smo i ovde zajedno uspevali.“

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„Super će mi doći više

znanja, a i vozačka

dozvola koju ću steći u

školi koju vanredno

završavam uz podršku

REF-a.“

“More knowledge will

be useful including the

driving license I will get

through this additional

training, with the support

of REF.”

Elvis Krasnići

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Elvis Krasnići (20 years)

“Sometimes I get the possibility to visit my family for a week. Nevertheless, when I go there I come back af-ter two days. I am not angry because of the fact that I have been in the Home for almost five years, nor am I angry with my parents for not taking me back home. I am not angry with my father who has not managed to build a better relationship with me so that our every encounter does not end with a quarrel. After such quar-rels, I return to the Home after two days. My mother tells me that my father always cries after my return to the Home. He tells her that he loves me and that he does not really mean what he says. He never told me that himself. But I trust my mother.”

While talking about the relationships in his family, Elvis keeps looking at the floor. However, when he starts describing his plans for the future, he raises his head and looks up. The police found him wandering the streets. The Social Welfare Center decides to place Elvis in the Home for Children without Parental Care, where he finished primary school. He enrolls secondary school and completes a third-degree secondary education. He realizes that having a degree of car mechanic is not enough, so with the support of REF, he enrolls a fourth-degree secondary education for motor vehicle technicians.

“I met Aleksandar and Aranka here. She was very angry with her parents, especially her father, angry at the life we ended up having as children from the Home. I am not angry myself. I understand the actions of other people. I can even understand my sister who left me wandering the streets while she would beg. She was not much older than me. I am not afraid of the future. More knowledge will be useful including the driving license I will get through this additional training, with the support of REF. If I do not manage to find a job immediately, I am not afraid of work of any kind. I had been picking plums and apples as well as chopping firewood. The three of us will succeed because we also managed together here.”

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Edmond Avdulahu (23 godine)

„Radim kao šivač na mašini, a to sam naučio da radim tokom stažiranja koje mi omogućava REF. Imam skro-mne ciljeve, ja ne želim da postanem šef. Samo želim da dobijem zaposlenje, da nadređeni u fabrici prepozna-ju moj trud. Samo želim da, kada mi se završi stažiranje, ostanem da radim na istoj poziciji.“

Edmond živi sa nezaposlenim roditeljima i sestrom koja trenutno radi kao čistačica u tržnom centru. Njegova porodica je 1999. godine, kao i mnoge druge porodice u to vreme, došla u Niš kod babe i dede.

„Deda je umro 2004. godine i ja ne mogu da ga vratim. A on nas je primio kada nam je bilo najteže. Ne mogu da vratim vreme unazad, ali mogu da gledam napred.“

Edmond gleda napred i zahvalan je što ima krov nad glavom. Srećan je što veliki deo svoje plate može da da roditeljima i doprinese kućnom budžetu. Raduje se tome što je uspeo da poseti Italiju i što planira put u Istanbul, ukoliko ga poslodavci zadrže na trenutnoj poziciji, raduje se tome što će uskoro započeti da pohađa kurs engleskog jezika. Raduje se svemu što je za većinu mladih ljudi uobičajeno.

„Nekada sam bio tužan kada nešto poželim, a ne mogu to da ostvarim. Sada znam da želje postoje da bi me hrabrile, da ne bih bio tužan, bez obzira na to kakve bile okolnosti. Svim srcem sam želeo ovo stažiranje, a onda sam ga i dobio. Istim žarom ću želeti i da me nakon stažiranja zaposle kao šivača, a onda će se to i ostva-riti. Vidite da je do sada bilo tako, a ja umem da želim svim srcem.”

22

Edmond Avdulahu

„Samo želim da

dobijem zaposle-

nje, da nadređeni

u fabrici prepozna-

ju moj trud.“

“I just w

ant to be

employed and to

have my superiors

in the factory recog-

nize my effort.”

23

Edmond Avdulahu (23 years)

“I work as a sewing machine operator. I learned how to do this during the internship opportunity provided by REF. I have modest goals, I do not want to become a manager. I just want to be employed and to have my superiors in the factory recognize my effort. I just wish that when I complete the internship, I will keep working on the same position.”

Edmond lives with unemployed parents and a sister who is currently working as a cleaner in a mall. In 1999, his family, as well as many other families at that time, came to Niš and stayed with his grandparents.

“My grandpa died in 2004 and I cannot return him. He took us in when it was the hardest. I cannot turn back the clock, but I can look forward.”

Edmond looks forward and remains grateful for having a roof over his head. He is happy that he can share a large part of his salary with his parents and contribute to the home budget. He is particularly happy for being able to visit Italy and he is now planning a trip to Istanbul if his employers keep him on the current position. He is also looking forward to attending an English language course. He is happy with everything that most young people take for granted.

“I used to be sad when there was something I wished and could not achieve it. Now I know that wishes are there to encourage me not to be sad, regardless of the circumstances. I wanted to get this internship with all of my heart, and then I got it. With the same level of excitement, I am looking forward to employment as a sewing machine operator, once the internship is over, and then one day that will come true as well. You see, it has been like that so far, and I know how to want things with all my heart.”

24

Cooperation with 52 employers from the public and private sector has been established

185 beneficiaries attended paid internship

101 beneficiaries got employed after completed vocational training and/or paid internship

Ostvarena saradnja sa 52 poslodavca iz javnog i privatnog sektora

185 korisnika/ca pohađalo plaćenu stručnu praksu

101 korisnik/ca se zaposlio/la nakon završene stručne obuke i/ili stručne prakse

25

Aranka Žolnai (21 godina)

„Kad sam imala 10 godina sa bratom sam pobegla od kuće. Posle par dana su nas pronašli i doveli ovde, u Dom.”

Aranka je tokom pohađanja trogodišnje srednje škole bila stipendistkinja srednjoškolskog stipendijskog i men-torskog programa. U okviru druge komponente projekta, trenutno pohađa IV razred srednje škole. Majku retko viđa, a otac joj je preminuo prošle godine. Međutim, Aranka nije sama, ona ima prijatelje Aleksandra i Elvisa. Svo troje su korisnici projekta, završavajući četvrti razred srednje sručne škole.

„Otac me je tukao. Jednom mi je ošišao svu kosu, izgledala sam kao dečak. Elvis mi je tad kupio šnalice za kosu, sa puno tračica i mašnica. Učinio je da se osećam bolje, iako mi je kosa bila prekratka za toliko šnalica.“

Kod Aranke postoji strah od života izvan Doma, ali i dovoljno samopouzdanja koje je stekla dodatnim obrazo-vanjem uz podršku REF-a.

„Imaću diplomu, biću najbolja majka i nikada neću otići od svoje dece.”

26

Aranka Žolnai

„Imaću diplomu,

biću najbolja majka

i nikada neću otići

od svoje dece.”

“I will g

raduate,

I will b

e the best

mother, and I w

ill

never leave

my

children.”

27

Aranka Žolnai (21 years)

“When I was 10, I ran away from home with my brother. After couple of days, we were found and brought here to the Home.”

Aranka was one of the Secondary scholarship and mentorship program beneficiary during her secondary ed-ucation towards a third-degree diploma. Within the component 2, she is currently attending fourth grade of secondary school. She rarely sees her mother, while her father passed away last year. However, Aranka is not alone, she has friends Aleksandar and Elvis. All three of them are project beneficiaries finishing their fourth grade of secondary school.

“My father used to beat me. Once, he cut my hair, I looked like a boy. Elvis then bought me some hairpins, with lots of ribbons and ties. He made me feel better, even though my hair was too short for so many hairpins.”

Aranka is anxious when it comes to living outside of the Home, but she also gained a lot of confidence with additional training she enrolled with the support of REF.

“I will graduate, I will be the best mother, and I will never leave my children.”

28

Broj stipendista/kinja koji su stekli diplomu srednje škole u školskoj 2014/15. godini je 98 (54 dečaka i 44 devojčice)

Broj stipendista/kinja koji su stekli diplomu srednje škole u školskoj 2015/16. godini je 103 (94 dečaka i 49 devojčica)

Broj stipendista/kinja koji su stekli diplomu srednje škole u školskoj 2016/17. godini je 126 (83 dečaka i 43 devojčice)

Broj stipendista/kinja koji su stekli diplomu srednje škole u školskoj 2017/18. godini je 148 (73 dečaka i 75 devojčice)

Od školske 2014/15. godine do školske 2017/18. godine, procenat odu-stajanja učenika/ca koji su uključeni u program se kontinuirano sma-njuje. Procenat stipendista/kinja koji su tokom školske 2014/15. godine odustali od obrazovanja iznosi 7%. Tokom godina se taj procenat sma-njivao tako da je u školskoj 2017/18. godini 2.4% stipendista/kinja odu-stalo od obrazovanja.

29

Number of beneficiaries who graduated from secondary school – 98 in the school year 2014/15 (54 boys and 44 girls)

Number of beneficiaries who graduated from secondary school – 103 in the school year 2015/16 (94 boys and 49 girls)

Number of beneficiaries who graduated from secondary school – 126 in the school year 2016/17 (83 boys and 43 girls)

Number of beneficiaries who graduated from secondary school – 148 in the school year 2017/18 (73 boys and 75 girls)

From school year 2014/15 to school year 2017/18, the percentage of drop out rate of students included in the program is continuously decreasing. Percentage of beneficiaries who dropped out of secondary school in the school year 2014/15 is 7%. Over the years that percentaged decreased so that in the school year 2017/18, 2.4% beneficiaries dropped out of secondary school.

30

Marina Jovanović (22 godine)

„Drago mi je što uspevam da rušim predrasude i što ne ispunjavam očekivanja ljudi iz svoje okoline. A ljudi su očekivali da ću se udati mlada. Ja to ne želim, jer planiram da imam svoj kozmetički salon, a REF mi pomaže u tome da ostvarim svoj cilj i postanem uspešna mlada žena.“

Jedna od šestoro braće i sestara, Marina za sebe kaže da je tvrdoglava i istrajna. Kao tehničarka hortikulture, nije mogla da nađe odgovarajuće zaposlenje. Zbog toga je odlučila da se uz podršku REF-a upiše na obuku u oblasti medicinske kozmetike i estetike. Veoma je zadovoljna što je pronašla način da svoju kreativnost ispolji kroz estetiku i kozmetiku. U porodičnom domu je adaptirala jednu od prostorija i napravila mini salon u koji se svi klijenti zadovoljni vraćaju, a ona se trudi da prati trendove u oblasti medicinske kozmetike i estetike. Vedra, odlučna i zadovoljna svojim uspešnim poslovanjem, Marina poručuje mladim Romkinjama da nikada ne odu-staju od svojih želja i ciljeva, bez obzira na tradicionalna uverenja u kojima odrastaju, jer je uz odgovarajuću podršku moguće njihovo ostvarenje.

31

Marina Jovanović

„A ljudi su očekivali da ću se

udati mlada. Ja to ne želim, jer

planiram da imam svoj kozme-

tički salon, a REF mi pomaže u

tome da ostvarim svoj cilj i po-

stanem uspešna mlada žena.“

“Everyone expected that I would marry very young. I do

not want that for me, because

I plan to have my own beauty

salon and REF has been helping

me realizing the goal of becom-

ing a successful young woman“

32

Marina Jovanović (22 years)

“I am glad that I managed to overcome prejudices and that I exceeded the expectations of people from my sur-rounding. Everyone expected that I would marry very young. I do not want that for me, because I plan to have my own beauty salon and REF has been helping me realizing the goal of becoming a successful young woman.”

Being one of six siblings, Marina says she is the stubborn and persistent one. She could not find adequate employment as a horticulture technician. That is why she decided to attend vocational training of medical cosmetics and aesthetics with the support of REF. She is now very pleased with finding a way to express her creativity through aesthetics and cosmetics. She adapted one of the rooms in her family house and made it into a mini-salon where all the clients are happy to come again. She tries to follow trends in the field of med-ical cosmetics and aesthetics. Outgoing, determined and satisfied with her successful business, Marina urges young Roma women never to give up their wishes and goals, regardless of the traditional beliefs they grow up surrounded with because it is possible to achieve everything they wish for, with appropriate support.

33

241 korisnik/ca završio/la neku od stručnih obuka

47 korisnika/ca trenutno pohađa neku od stručnih obuka

58 korisnika/ca trenutno pohađa plaćenu stručnu praksu

241 beneficiaries completed vocational training

47 beneficiaries currently attend vocational training

58 beneficiaries are currently attending paid internship

34

David Sulejmanović (21 godina)

Živi u kućici u naselju Crvena zvezda sa roditeljima i sedmoro braće i sestara. Kućica ima dve sobe i jedan hodnik. Jedna soba je namenjena starijoj sestri koja boluje od epilepsije. Porodicu izdržava samo majka, saku-pljanjem sekundarnih sirovina, jer je otac imao tri infarkta. I tako je od 1995. godine.

„Ne volim laž i dobar sam drug. Drugarski je i ovo stažiranje koje sam dobio. Stažiram kao šivač na mašini i mogu da pomognem svojoj porodici, kojoj je pomoć zaista potrebna. Ljudi u REF-u su stvarno ispali dobri drugovi.”

35

David Sulejmanović

„Stažiram kao šivač na

mašini i mogu da pomo-

gnem svojoj porodici,

kojoj je pomoć zaista

potrebna.“

“During internship, I am working as a sewing

machine operator and I

can help my family, since

they really need help.”

36

David Sulejmanović (21 years)

He lives in a small house in the Crvena zvezda neighborhood, with his parents and seven siblings. The house has two rooms and a corridor. His older sister suffering from epilepsy uses one room. His mother is the family’s sole, by collecting scraped material, because his father suffered from three heart attacks. Their situation has been like this since 1995.

“I hate lying and I consider myself a good friend. This internship opportunity was a friendly gesture. During internship, I am working as a sewing machine operator and I can help my family, since they really need help. People from REF turned out to be really good friends.”

37

Tafilj Dubova (25 godina)

„Mislim da ću biti bolji čovek, bolja osoba, ako pomažem drugima”, govori mladić u tranzicionom procesu. Tafilj stažira u Centru za integraciju mladih i završava osnovne studije na Fakultetu za specijalnu edukaciju i reha-bilitaciju. Svoj volonterski rad je započeo kao vršnjački edukator u Domu za decu bez roditeljskog staranja, a zatim je učestvovao u obukama Crvenog krsta, Centra za interaktivnu pedagogiju i drugih organizacija.

Nakon odlaska sa Kosova, Tafilj sa roditeljima i sestrom dolazi u Beograd kod babe i dede. Nakon smrti oba ro-ditelja i požara koji njegovu sestru odvodi u bolnicu zbog opekotina četvrtog stepena, Tafilja odvode u Dom za decu bez roditeljskog staranja. I on uspeva u takvom okruženju. Nastavlja svoje obrazovanje u osnovnoj školi „Branko Pešić“ u Zemunu, nakon čega upisuje srednju Ugostiteljsko-turističku školu III stepen, zatim polaže razliku ispita za IV stepen srednjeg obrazovanja, kako bi stekao uslov da upiše fakultet.

„Znam da deca i mladi sa kojima radim uz podršku REF-a u meni vide ono najbolje, vide uzora i moju želju da im pomognem. Nekada samo u tome da urade domaći zadatak, a nekada i u tome da prevaziđu i veće teškoće u kojima su. Ovakav vid profesionalnog usavršavanja mi mnogo znači, jer ću postati još bolji u radu sa mladi-ma. A i finansijska podrška mi sada posebno znači... terapija koju primam je skupa, ali neophodna, jer konačno imam priliku da uštedim i uradim nešto za sebe.“

Tafilj sada završava osnovne akademske studije na Fakultetu za specijalnu edukaciju i rehabilitaciju Univerzi-teta u Beogradu.

38

Tafilj Dubova

„Znam da deca i mladi sa

kojima radim uz podršku

REF-a u meni vide ono

najbolje, vide uzora i moju

želju da im pomognem.“

“I know that children and

youth with whom I work with

the support of REF see what

is best in me, see a role

model whose genuine desire

is to help them.”

39

Tafilj Dubova (25 years)

“I think I will be a better human, a better person if I help others”, says a young man in the process of tran-sition. Tafilj is an intern at Center for Youth Integration and is about to complete his Bachelor studies at the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation. He started his volunteer work as a peer educator in the Home for Children without Parental Care and then participated in various training programs organized by Red Cross, Center for Interactive Pedagogy and other non-governmental organizations.

After leaving Kosovo, Tafilj, his parents and his sister came to Belgrade to live with his grandparents. After the death of both parents and a fire that caused his sister to be hospitalized due to the fourth-degree burns, Tafilj was taken to the Home for Children without Parental Care. And he managed to become successful despite the circumstances. He continued his education at primary school “Branko Pešić” in Zemun, after which he enrolled a third-degree Secondary school for hospitality and tourism, then taking the exams for fourth-degree second-ary education in order to qualify for enrolling faculty. “I know that children and youth with whom I work with the support of REF see the best in me, they see a role model and mine genuine desire to help them. Sometimes only to help them do their homework, and sometimes to overcome even greater difficulties they find themselves in. This kind of professional training means a lot to me because I will become even better in working with young people. The financial support means the world to me...the medical therapy I receive is expensive but necessary, because I finally have the opportunity to save some money and do something for myself.”

Tafilj is now close to completing his Bachelor studies at the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Belgrade.

40

Stefan Memedović (23 godine)

„Ne znam koje su moje dobre osobine... a znam da je loše to što previše verujem ljudima, pa nekad ne ispadne dobro i budem povređen. Raduju me male stvari – svakodnevne obaveze, vreme provedeno sa kolegama na poslu.“

Kao i mnoge porodice, usled sukoba na Kosovu i Metohiji, i Stefan sa majkom dolazi u Niš. Deda im pomaže davanjem novca za kućicu i davanjem svega što je potrebno dečaku bez oca – vožnja u starom automobilu, sličice za album, slatkiši, igračke. Deda je bio oslonac koji je Stefanu pomogao da izraste u nasmejanog i odgo-vornog mladića koji trenutno stažira i želi da i nakon stažiranja nastavi svoje usavršavanje. U okviru projekta koji sprovodi REF, Stefan stažira kao dizajner u tekstilnoj industriji, ali kaže da ga interesuju i ples i gluma. Neostvarena želja su mu studije novinarstva, jer nije imao finansijskih sredstava za studiranje.

„Žao mi je što moja majka nije našla partnera, u stvari ja joj to zameram, jer se previše posvetila meni. Tre-balo je da misli i na sebe kao što je moj otac sebi našao nekog. Nego, je l’ mislite da bih ja mogao da budem novinar?“

41

Stefan Memedović

„Raduju me

male stvari –

svakodnevne obave-

ze, vreme provedeno

sa kolegama na po-

slu.“

“Little things make me happy – everyday duties, time spent at work with my colleagues.”

42

Stefan Memedović (23 years)

“I do not know about my qualities...but I know it is bad that I trust people too much, and sometimes things turn do not turn out well and my feelings get hurt. Little things make me happy – everyday duties, time spent at work with my colleagues.”

Like many families, due to the conflict in Kosovo and Metohija, Stefan and his mother came to Niš. His grandfa-ther helped them out by giving money to buy a small house and giving Stefan everything that a boy without a father would need – driving around in an old car, buying stickers, sweets and toys. Stefan had his grandfather as a support in growing into a smiling and responsible young man who is currently on an internship and wants to continue with his professional development once the internship completes. With the support of REF, Stefan is working as a textile industry designer, but says that he is also interested in dance and acting. He wanted to study journalism but he have not had enough resources to study.

“I regret my mother not finding a partner, in fact, that is something I hold against her, because she devoted herself to me. She should have been thinking of herself, the same way my father found someone. Anyway, do you think I could be a journalist?”

43

Sarbera Ametović (33 godine)

„Ne pada mi toliko teško što nemam struje za obavljanje kućnih poslova, teško mi je zbog toga što su moja deca u mraku već šest meseci. Ja treba da sam dobra majka, da brinem o njima i da im pomažem.“

Zabrinuta zbog okolnosti u kojima živi sa suprugom i šestoro dece, pet sinova i jednom ćerkom, Sarbera opisu-je svakodnevni život svoje porodice. Najstariji sin ima četrnaest godina, a najmlađi, koji sve vreme sedi pored nje, pet godina. Pored toga što su Sarbera i njen suprug želeli da započnu novi život u Nemačkoj, preko noći bivaju izvedeni iz svog doma i vraćeni u Niš, naselje Crvena zvezda. Život ove porodice, školovanje dece, zapo-slenje njenog supruga, sve se prekida 2014. godine. Sarbera od tada pokušava da organizuje život svoje poro-dice u Nišu. Njen muž izdržava porodicu sakupljanjem sekundarnih sirovina, a deca redovno pohađaju nastavu i učestvuju u projektnim aktivnostima koje sprovodi Društveni centar Indigo, partnerska organizacija REF-a.

„Tamo nismo bili gladni. Deca su išla u školu i suprug je imao posao. Ja sam bila dobra majka. Ovde ne umem da se snađem. A baš se trudim. Stvarno se trudim. Vodim ih na dodatne časove srpskog jezika, vodim ih i u biblioteku igračaka u Društvenom centru, ali ne mogu da postignem svakog dana. Ma, u Nemačkoj je sve bo-lje...“

Najmlađi sin Martin je pažljivo slušao majku dok priča, a zatim ukratko opisao svoj dan u niškom naselju Cr-vena zvezda.

„Ja sam se ovde rodio. Meni je lepo. Žao mi je jedino što ne mogu da gledam crtane filmove. Nekad me maj-ka povede u biblioteku igračaka, pa tamo mogu da se igram i gledam televiziju. Ne volim kad moram rano da legnem na spavanje. Ali brzo svane i onda mogu da izađem napolje da se igram sa drugarima.“

44

Sarbera Ametović

„Vodim ih na dodatne časove

srpskog jezika, vodim ih i u

biblioteku igračaka u

Društvenom centru, ali

ne mogu da postignem

svakog dana.“

“I take them to additional

classes of Serbian language,

I take them to the Toy library

at the Community Center, but

I cannot make it every day.”

45

Sarbera Ametović (33 years)

“It’s not so difficult not having the electricity for housework, but it is difficult that my children have been in the dark for the past six months. I should be a good mother, I should take care of them and help them.”

Concerned about the circumstances in which she lives together with her husband and six children, five sons and one daughter, Sarbera describes the everyday life of her family. The oldest son is fourteen, and the young-est, sitting next to her, is five. Regardless of the fact that Sarbera and her husband wanted to start a new life in Germany, one day, they were taken out of their home and returned to Crvena Zvezda neighborhood in Niš. The life of this family, the education of her children, the employment of her husband, everything abruptly ended in 2014. Since then, Sarbera has been trying to organize the life of her family in Niš. Her husband provides for the family by collecting scraped material, while their children regularly attend school and participate in project activities carried out by the Community Center Indigo, REF partner organization.

“We were not hungry there. Children went to school and my husband had a job. I was a good mother. It is hard for me to manage here. But I am trying very hard. I am really giving my best. I take them to additional classes of Serbian language, I take them to the Toy library at the Community Center, but I cannot make it every day. In a word, everything was better in Germany...“

Her youngest son Martin carefully listened to his mother while she was talking, and then briefly described his day in Crvena Zvezda neighborhood in Niš.

“I was born here. It is nice. The only thing I regret is the fact that I cannot watch cartoons. Sometimes my mother takes me to the Toy library, so I can play and watch TV there. I do not like it when I have to go to bed early. However, the morning comes quickly, and then I can go outside and play with my friends.”

46

Cooperation is established with 4 partner NGOs in 5 municipalities

62 children are enrolled in pre-school preparatory program

168 children are enrolled in primary school

456 classes of Serbian language and other school subjects were held

Ostvarena saradnja sa 4 partnerske nevladine organizacije u 5 opština

62 dece upisano u predškolski pripremni program

168 dece upisano u osnovnu školu

Održano 456 časova srpskog jezika i drugih školskih predmeta

47

48

• PUTEVI KOJE BIRAMO •

Brošura „Putevi koje biramo“ nastala je u okviru projekta „Pospešivanje zapošljivosti mladih Roma“, koji Pred-stavništvo fonda za obrazovanje Roma u Srbiji sprovodi od 2016. do 2019. godine.

U periodu od novembra 2018. do marta 2019. godine, obavljeni su intervjui sa korisnicima/ama projekta „Po-spešivanje zapošljivosti mladih Roma“. Korisnici/e su imali priliku da opišu svoje učešće u projektnim aktivno-stima, kao i svoje planove za budućnost.

Odabrane su priče korisnika/ca koji su svojim učešćem u projektnim aktivnostima ostvarili najzapaženiji napre-dak u ličnom i profesionalnom smislu.

• The Paths We Choose •

Brochure “The Paths we choose” was created within the project “Employment Empowerment of Young Roma”, implemented by Roma Education Fund’s representative office in Serbia since 2016 until 2019.

Interviews with the beneficiaries of the project “Employment Empowerment of Young Roma” were being con-ducted from November 2018 to March 2019. Beneficiaries had the opportunity to describe their participation in the project activities, as well as their plans for the future.

Stories selected for the Brochure belong to those beneficiaries who have achieved significant progress in per-sonal and professional sense during the project activities.

www.romaeducationfund.org

Predstavništvo Fonda za obrazovanje Roma sprovodi projekat pod nazivom „Pospešivanje zapošljivosti mla-dih Roma“ uz podršku programa German development cooperation, koji implementira Nemačka razvojna banka KfW u ime Vlade Republike Nemačke – Ministarstva za ekonomsku saradnju i razvoj.

The Roma Education Fund, branch office in Serbia is implementing the project “Employment Empowerment of Young Roma”, with the support of German development cooperation, implemented by KfW on behalf of the German Government – Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.